Council OKS tentative budget

GLENDALE — The City Council approved a tentative budget this week that banks on a property-tax increase and a leaner staff.

The total budget is $576 million, although the focus typically falls on the $174.2 million general fund, which covers day-to-day operations such as public safety, parks and libraries.

The 1.5 percent increase in the general fund will cover added expenses, including pay increases for unionized public-safety employees, higher city contributions for employee retirement and health insurance, heftier utility bills and parking agreements related to the sports complexes.

To balance the general fund, the proposal would slash $3.5 million from other areas, mostly by cutting more than 80 vacant jobs, including 27 sworn police and fire positions left unfunded and vacant for the past few years.

In addition, the proposal would raise property-tax rates to $2.28 per $1,000 in assessed value from the current $1.90 per $1,000 rate.

Despite the rate increase, the owner of a median-priced home of $142,500 could see the tax payment drop from $335 this fiscal year to $326 in fiscal 2014 because of decreased home values. But some residents, whose home values didn’t dramatically drop, would pay more taxes.

The council is scheduled to vote on the budget June 14 and then adopt the tax levy June 28. Public hearings on both will be held on June 14.